Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson

Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

14Years (2013-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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6 January 2020 in BMC Public Health
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
CGChristina Gillies
Christina Gillies
RBRosanne Blanchet
Rosanne Blanchet
RGRebecca Gokiert
Rebecca Gokiert
AFAnna Farmer
Anna Farmer
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
NWNoreen D. Willows
Noreen D. Willows
Background: Indigenous children in Canada (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis) are disproportionately affected by nutrition-related chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Comprehensive school-based nutrition interventions offer a promising strategy for improving children’s access to healthy foods and sustaining positive eating behaviors. However, little is known about school-based nutrition interventions for Indigenous children. The objectives of this scoping review were to identify school-based nutrition interventions for Indigenous children in Canada and describe their components.Methods: The scoping review consisted of searches in seven peer-reviewed databases and a general web search for grey literature. Eligibility criteria were applied by two reviewers, and data were extracted and charted by one reviewer using components of the comprehensive school health approach (social and physical environment, teaching and learning, policy, partnerships and services) and additional components with relevance to Indigenous interventions (cultural content, Indigenous control and ownership, funding source, evaluation). Numerical and descriptive summaries were used to present findings.Results: Thirty-four unique interventions met the inclusion criteria. The majority (97%) of interventions targeted the social and physical environment, most often by offering food programs. Over half of interventions also incorporated teaching and learning (56%) and partnerships and services (59%), but fewer included a policy component (38%). Many interventions included a cultural component (56%) and most (62%) were owned and controlled by Indigenous communities (62%). Finally, over half of interventions disclosed their source(s) of funding (59%), but less than half (41%) included an evaluation component.Conclusions: The review suggests that school-based interventions for Indigenous children can be more comprehensive by incorporating culturally relevant nutrition education and professional development opportunities for teachers, written school nutrition policies, and activities that actively engage families and community members. The continued focus on Indigenous control and ownership and incorporation of content specific to individual communities may enhance cultural relevancy and sustainability of interventions. Furthermore, there is a need to increase intervention evaluation and the sharing of resources related to funding. These recommendations may be used by communities, as well as by researchers and professionals working with communities, in developing comprehensive school-based nutrition interventions to improve the eating behaviors of Indigenous children.

12 February 2020 in Conservation Science and Practice
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
CHCourtney Hughes
Courtney Hughes
LFLee Foote
Lee Foote
NYNicholas T. Yarmey
Nicholas T. Yarmey
CHChristina Hwang
Christina Hwang
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Scott NielsenScott Nielsen
Scott Nielsen
Across their North American range, grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos ) occupy a special place in human imagination, as icons of nature's rugged and raw power, to representations of safety risks and economic costs of living with carnivores. Different bear representations can also be found across news media, from controversial and sensational descriptions of attacks, tragic events and conflicts, to scientific accounts of conservation research. News media certainly has the power to pique curiosity, spark debate, or elicit emotional responses through framing and repetition of content. In turn, news stories can influence how people might interpret and internalize information about grizzly bears. Using media content analysis, we examined newsprint stories on grizzly bears across their North American range between 2000 and 2016, to understand message framing and attention cycle, as well as attitudinal expression and representative anecdote conveyed to the readership. We found that human–bear conflict stories are over‐reported compared to other narratives, where a single incidence garners more attention than a story about new scientific findings. We also found articles that included hunting frames largely originated in Alberta, likely due to the threatened species listing and hunting moratorium. Attitudinal expressions included ecological, negative or neutral, and moral sentiments toward bears. The most common representative anecdote conveyed to the readership reflected the dire state faced by grizzly bears. The bear eco‐gossip expressed in the articles we reviewed, which included clear protagonists and antagonists and the occasional man‐bites‐bear surprise, appears to be the diet of manufactured information fed to the public. Results of our study can help scientists and conservationists understand how news media portrays grizzly bears to the public and how this might influence public sentiment toward their conservation, but also identifies the roles that scientists, conservationists and journalists together can play in crafting effective, factual and engaging news stories about bears.

29 November 2022 in Current Nutrition Reports
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
PDF file
FSFatheema Begum Subhan
Fatheema Begum Subhan
DFDineli N. Fernando
Dineli N. Fernando
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Catherine ChanCatherine Chan
Catherine Chan

24 June 2025 in Obesity Reviews
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
FVFlavio T. Vieira
Flavio T. Vieira
CPCarla M. Prado
Carla M. Prado
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
CSCarlene Johnson Stoklossa
Carlene Johnson Stoklossa
JJJennifer Jin
Jennifer Jin
BBBarbara Bielawska
Barbara Bielawska
The risk of sarcopenic obesity (SO), characterized by the coexistence of excess adiposity and low muscle mass and function, may be increased in metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS). There is a possibility of SO development after surgery, but also aggravation of pre‐existing SO, a hidden condition associated with poor health‐related outcomes. This scoping review synthesizes existing literature on SO in MBS, with a thorough discussion of diagnostic criteria and assessment methods, investigation of SO prevalence (presurgery and postsurgery), incidence postsurgery, and impact on clinical outcomes. SO prevalence in MBS is highly heterogeneous, depending on the applied diagnostic criteria and body composition/physical function assessments. Following appropriate diagnostic criteria, one of four individuals both before and post‐MBS seems to have SO, thus requiring targeted interventions. SO may be associated with lower weight loss and quality of life, increased risk of gastric leak, prolonged operation time, and hospital stay. Increased awareness of postsurgery SO is recommended, especially with aging. Standardization of SO diagnosis is urgently needed to improve identification and enable comparisons among studies and associations with clinical outcomes. This is important for developing effective policies, guidelines, and interventions to better address and manage this condition.

12 October 2025 in Animals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
SSSophia Shanlly
Sophia Shanlly
JSJordan Slessor
Jordan Slessor
WYWenting Yan
Wenting Yan
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
HBHeather L. Bruce
Heather L. Bruce
RURichard Uwiera
Richard Uwiera
Cushing’s syndrome is one of the most common endocrine disorders in dogs and is typically managed with long-term medical treatment. Several pharmacological agents are available: trilostane, mitotane, ketoconazole, cabergoline, selegiline, and aminoglutethimide, but their comparative effects on survival remain unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the impact of these agents on survival outcomes in dogs with naturally occurring diseases. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, and the Cochrane Library was conducted between 1 September 2024 to 3 January 2025. Eligible studies included dogs diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome that reported survival outcomes for at least one of the specified treatments. Five studies (n = 295 dogs) met the inclusion criteria, with trilostane and mitotane providing sufficient data for meta-analysis. Pooled mean difference in survival time across four studies was 85.1 days (95% CI: −255.9 to 85.7, p = 0.21) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 89%), indicating no statistically significant difference between the drugs. In contrast, pooled survival rates at fixed intervals favored trilostane, with an 11% higher survival at 36 months (p = 0.005) and no heterogeneity observed (I2 = 0%). These findings suggest trilostane may offer long-term survival benefits over mitotane.

6 March 2015 in Evidence Based Library and Information Practice
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
JTJessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
Jessica Janice Dawn Thorlakson
DKDenise Koufogiannakis
Denise Koufogiannakis
SMSharon Marshall Manager
Sharon Marshall Manager
BSBibliographic Services
Bibliographic Services
Streamlining Workflows in the Now: Using Evidence to Select a DVD Vendor for the University of Alberta Libraries